Although a selection of LCD display hosting smartwatches have already made it to market, largely to little fanfare or acclaim, Apple has been reportedly rumoured to be working on a flexible display hosting iWatch device, a wrist worn gadget mooted for launch later this year.

Suggesting that the technologies required for such a device are still some months away from being consumer available, industry experts from flexible display specialist Plastic Logic have hinted that a potential Apple iWatch release date is “more likely next year.”

“We are already working with our partners on solutions like this [flexible smartwatches],” Plastic Logic’s Head of Marketing Communications Rachel Lichten told TrustedReviews. “There are a couple of very, very interesting big names that are looking to develop the flexible smartwatch. That particular device is probably more likely next year.”

She added: “We are already working with customers, but for the actual product and the question of ‘when will I be able to see something on the market’, I don’t know if this will be one of the products you see this year.

“We haven’t been able to announce very many products so far because we are still in the development process with the majority of our customers.”

Further teasing the potential of the flexible smartwatch device, Jim Watts, a lead engineer at Plastic Logic added: “You can take these plastic technologies and start to use them in applications that you would otherwise not have thought about doing. We are all familiar with watches but in this case, there is a new ability to do things thanks to the versatility that this screen can offer.”

Apple iWatch Rumours

Widely tipped as Apple’s first wearable gadget, Apple iWatch rumours have kicked into overdrive in recent months, with the wrist mounted tech expected to see the Cupertino company help forge the mainstream path for a currently fringe product group.

With the device reportedly in an advanced stage of development, recent Apple iWatch reports have hinted that Apple has amassed a 100-strong team to work on the project, a team reportedly made up of “managers, member of the marketing group, and software and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad.”

Although Apple has yet to formally confirm the device, claimed Apple iWatch specs have seen the handset tipped to host a 1.5-inch touchscreen display alongside a revised rendition of the company’s iOS software, integrated Siri and Bluetooth connectivity options.